Selecting Corn Hybrids For Optimum Performance

Oct 25, 2010

Question:Do you have any advice on selecting corn hybrids for optimum performance?

Answer: There is more than one way to go about effectively selecting corn hybrids. That said, here are six steps we believe will help you do a good job of selecting those hybrids that will perform well on your farm:

1. Begin with trials in zones nearest your farm.
2. Compare hybrids with similar maturities within a trial.
3. Evaluate consistency of performance across zones and years.
4. Compare performance in other unbiased trials.
5. Consider hybrid performance for other traits--for example: standability, drydown rate, grain quality, etc.
6. Base your decision on more than one or two local test plots.